First return of the exiles. Imagine a prophecy so precise as the one predicting that for 70 years, God’s people would live in desolation, and then they would be released. Now it was almost time for that promise to be fulfilled. Why was Daniel upset? Should he have been? Do you and I ever feel … Continue reading –>
The first group of returnees received the task of rebuilding the temple of God. We will study about the opposition to the building of the temple in a later lesson. Now, we will discuss the succession of Persian kings during the temple’s prolonged construction and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. It is important to know the … Continue reading –>
Read Jeremiah 25:11-12 and Jeremiah 29:10 and Daniel 9:1-2. When did the first return of the exiles happen? What prophecy was the return fulfilling? The Lord influenced Cyrus to allow the first return, in fulfillment of Jeremiah’s 70-year prophecy. Jeremiah had written that the land of Judah would lie desolate for 70 years under Babylon (this happened, from 606/605 B.C. to … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Jer. 25:11-12; Dan. 9:1-2; Ezra 4:1-7; Isa. 55:8-9; Ezra 7:1-28. Memory Text: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah”. (Ezra 1:2, NKJV). In the writings of Jeremiah, God … Continue reading –>
Ezra and Nehemiah The Gospel According to Ezra and Nehemiah Ezra and Nehemiah were exceptional, God-centered, Word-oriented, and Spirit-led leaders who deeply desired that God’s people prosper and that His name be uplifted and proclaimed worldwide. Their lives modeled what God can do through dedicated, faithful servant leaders. Because of our sinful natures, cultivated habits, … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “A Faithful Witness”, pages 546-556, in The Acts of the Apostles; “Kindness the Key to Hearts”, pages 81-86, in Welfare Ministry. “The work which the disciples did, we also are to do. Every Christian is to be a missionary. In sympathy and compassion we are to minister to those in need of help, … Continue reading –>
Even with the best motivations and intentions, and believing that we are on the side of God and goodness, working for the Lord can be difficult and discouraging. The sadness and pain of our world are real. This is one reason we need a church community. Jesus modeled this kind of supportive community with His … Continue reading –>
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. Psalm 91:2 NLT In Lysa Terkeurst’s book, Uninvited, She tells the story about finding refuge in a ravine near her childhood home. Her father, who was mean, made her feel unsafe at … Continue reading –>
At the beginning of the book of Job, God points to Job and his faithfulness to Him as a demonstration of the goodness of God’s ways and His dealings with fallen humanity (see Job 1:8). It is remarkable that God allows His reputation to hang on how His people live their lives on this earth. But Paul … Continue reading –>
Church discussions sometimes seem to get stuck on the apparent need to choose between a focus on social work or gospel work, either charity or witnessing, either justice or evangelism. But when we better understand each of these concepts and observe the ministry of Jesus, the difference breaks down, and we realize that preaching the … Continue reading –>
